His white uniform bearing splotches of green grass, Hyde stood before a horde of reporters in a cramped room inside the bowels of Ryan Field and expressed just how much Ohio State's 40-30 win against Northwestern meant.

Hyde spent the first three games of the season away from his teammates, away from the offensive huddle, far away from his vision of an ideal senior campaign. The suspension, levied upon him by coach Urban Meyer after an offseason incident, served its purpose.

"That suspension, it really hurt," Hyde said, barely able to spit out the words as he choked up, "not being out there with my brothers because I made a mistake."

Against Northwestern, a team that appeared poised for an upset on its soggy home field, Hyde carried the ball 26 times for 168 yards and three touchdowns, and carried Ohio State to a season-saving victory.

"We all make mistakes," Meyer said, "and I hope this is a game-changer for him, even when he's done playing football."

For much of Saturday afternoon, a heavy rain splashed Northwestern's campus. The tall grass that spans the stadium soaked up the precipitation as lightning periodically flashed on the horizon.

For much of Saturday evening, Ohio State's prognosis appeared just as gloomy. However, similar to Mother Nature's wrath, that forecast eased up when it counted most. Hyde had plenty to do with the change in temperament.

"It's definitely something I've been waiting for," Hyde said, tears flowing down both of his cheeks. "The suspension was hard. That was one of the hardest things I've ever gone through, but I just kept my faith."

The bulky, bruising running back built for a wet field with little traction bore the brunt of the Buckeyes' offensive load. His final score, a seven-yard burst to the outside, propelled Ohio State to a four-point lead with five minutes remaining.

"I tell him every game, remember what we had to go through," said cornerback Bradley Roby, who served a one-game ban earlier this year.

"Remember the struggles, remember when we thought it wasn't going to be a brighter day for us. I always tell him to use that anger and that passion to the run ball and he's doing that and I'm loving it."

Running backs coach Stan Drayton informed Hyde at halftime that he would be the focal point of the offense in the final two stanzas after Northwestern claimed a 20-13 lead at intermission. Ohio State's only touchdown in the first half resulted from Roby's blocked punt in the end zone.

"I went in the locker room and told the offense, 'That's unacceptable,'" Hyde said. "That's not us. We score points. We don't kick field goals."

The rain ultimately ceased as the teams commenced the nationally televised tilt, but the Buckeyes appeared tentative -- and undermanned -- on offense. Quarterback Braxton Miller, who admitted he was hesitant to test his balky left knee, lost a pair of fumbles and tossed an interception, Jordan Hall sat out with a tweaked knee and Dontre Wilson only touched the football on kick returns.

Those ingredients left Hyde as the only consistent offensive option.

"That was what [offensive coordinator Tom] Herman and Coach Meyer came up with through the game, and it worked pretty well," said Miller, who accounted for 271 total yards, but did not score. "I had two fumbles, though. That's all on me. I just have to fix [that]."

The Buckeyes have not tasted defeat in 643 days, but the aroma of an Ohio State loss swirled around the stadium for more than three quarters. Northwestern clutched a three-point advantage heading into the final frame, but when it mattered most, Ohio State stood strong to maintain its unblemished record.

Ohio State's defense, which permitted 437 total yards, clamped down in the second half. On their final six possessions, the Wildcats punted twice and committed three turnovers. With less than three minutes left, Ohio State stopped Northwestern on a fourth-and-one in Buckeyes territory, as quarterback Kain Colter fumbled a snap and recovered the ball short of the chains.

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